Batman: Ashes of Arkham
by EzioAuditoreDaFirenze1500
Summary: Years after the events of Arkham City, Bruce is now retired. But the appearance of Harley Quinn's child as well as his own, causes him to take up cape and cowl once more. But unbeknownst to them, a greater threat is coming, one that will need the entire JL to stop it. Ignores Arkham Unhinged and Harley Quinn's Revenge DLC. Image by p2pproductions.
1. Legend's Return

Laughter. That's all I've been hearing for the past ten years. His taunting, sadistic laughter. Dick Grayson, a friend of mine, has said that the Joker and I cannot exist without each other. That we are Yin and Yang. He wasn't far off. Some of my greatest losses are because of the Joker. He has caused me immeasurable amounts of pain. Even just half an hour ago, he killed someone most dear to me. Yet here I am, carrying his lifeless body out of Arkham, feeling just the slightest bit of sadness. What does this mean for me? For Batman? Was the Joker what made me put on this ridiculous costume? Was the Joker the only reason why I gave a damn? Harley Quinn, the Joker's plaything, has seen me with his body. She slaps me on my cheek. I keep on walking. She's shouting some kind of abuse at me I'm too worn out to make out the words. I've made it out of the gates of Arkham City. Jim Gordon, the Police Commissioner, is with his fellow officers, waiting. He sees me. I place the Joker's body on the bumper of Jim's car. "Batman, what the hell happened in there?" he asks. I leave him there. I'm tired. I'm tired of this lifestyle. There will always be evil in this city- in this world. There's nothing I can do. I'm tired.

* * *

Gotham City, August 25 2043 Wayne Manor

"Bruce, you're drinking," said Diana as she watched her friend down a glass of beer. It was Bruce's fifty-eighth birthday and Diana, the rest of the Justice League, Barbra Gordon, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake and Jim Gordon (who now knew Bruce's secret) were visiting him.

"It's the only way I can keep myself from going back to _him_," answered Bruce. Clark Kent walked over to his two closest friends.

"Diana, there's been a break out at the Vault. I don't know how but we need to get there as soon as possible," he said. He turned to Bruce. "Happy Birthday Bruce, sorry to leave you like this." Bruce waved his hand.

"It's no bother. But I've never heard of this 'Vault' before," said Bruce. Clark took of his glasses.

"That's for another day. Get some rest Bruce," he answered as he and the league left. Shortly after they left, so did the rest of Bruce's guests. Bruce went into his study and examined the portrait of his parents. He then saw a picture of him and Alfred. Bruce sighed.

"I'm sorry I failed you," he said. Bruce looked in his mirror. He had really changed over the years. His black hair had turned a pale grey. His bright blue eyes had faded. He now had a scar from his eyebrow down to his cheek, and a long beard. Ever since the death of Tommy Eliot, the Joker, Talia and Ra's, Bruce had let himself go. He had begun to drink and smoke. He had been in a lot of car crashes lately as well. He wanted to do anything to just keel over and die. He had no life anymore. His life was taken fifty years ago. By some thug with a gun.

"You think you can escape me?" asked a dark and cold voice. Bruce looked around. He saw nobody there. "You can never escape me. I own you. I control you. I am you," the voice said again. Bruce ran into his bathroom and washed his face. He looked in the mirror and for a split second, saw a bat. Bruce decided to go into the Batcave. He hadn't been there in over fifteen years. He didn't know why he wanted to go. But to think that fifty years ago that day, was the day that he lost his childhood. The day all sense left the world. He was down already. He looked around. Everything was still there. The car, the artifacts and the suits. He walked to his last worn Batsuit. He heard screeching behind him. He smirked and turned around. In the shadows, was a giant bat. The same giant bat that he saw thirty years ago. The one that gave him inspiration.

"Fine. I'll stop running now. I'm not done with you and you're not done with me," said Bruce. He then smirked. "You'll never be done with me, will you?"

* * *

Outside of Wayne Manor, a man with spiky black hair, blue eyes and a brown leather jacket watched the house from afar with his binoculars. "Well father. It's time we meet."

**Please review.**

**I don't own Batman or the Arkham games.**


	2. The Vow

JLA Watchtower Briefing Room, August 26 2043

"So, what are we dealing with?" Superman asked his fellow Justice League members.

"I feel a great evil is coming to our world. One of great magnitude. We must prepare ourselves for it," answered J'onn J'onzz.

"Well in the meantime, we need to retrieve that very important prisoner and bring him back to the vault," said Green Lantern.

An alarm in the Watchtower went off. There was a crime in progress. Superman viewed the crime on the monitor. A man in a black, hooded cloak was breathing fire, burning buildings and pedestrians. "Diana, can you handle this?" asked Superman. Diana nodded. "He's in Gotham. Once upon a time we'd have sent, well you know."

"It's fine Kal," assured Diana as she got in the Watchtower's teleporter.

* * *

Gotham City, August 26 2043

Diana arrived in Gotham a second later. The area in which the cloaked man occupied was in a fiery ruin. She flew to the man. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she asked. The man turned to Diana and raised his hand. He materialized a fire ball from it and threw it at Diana. She blocked the attack with her bracers. "I guess we'll talk later," concluded Diana as she punched the man across the face.

They traded blows with one another, and it seemed Diana had the edge but the man caught her off guard with a fiery blow to the abdomen, sending her flying. "You are not the warrior my master spoke of," said the man as he grabbed Diana by the neck. He was about to finish her off when something pierced his neck. It was a tranquilizer dart. The man dropped Diana and fell unconscious. After Diana regained her breath, she looked in the direction that the dart was thrown in. It was dark so she could barely make out the silhouette of her savior. A man with a tattered, billowing cape. She got up and turned towards the arsonist. She picked him up and propped him on her shoulders. She turned back around but the man was gone. Could that have been him?

* * *

Gotham City Graveyard, August 27 2043

Bruce decided to get out of the house to visit the graves of his loved ones. His parents and his long time guardian and friend, Alfred Pennyworth. It had been a long time since he had been there. He just didn't want to face them after that fateful day ten years ago...

* * *

Wayne Manor, December 25 2033

Batman burst through the doors of Wayne Manor and ran to the secret passage that lead to the Batcave. He had to hurry before something horrible happened. He went down the elevator, waiting impatiently for it to reach it's destination. He kicked the elevator doors open and jumped to his stop. "Alfred!" he shouted out. No answer. Where was he? He saw some blood on the floor. He followed the trail, already fearing the worst and found it's source. The body of his closet friend Alfred, bloody and battered. He was too late. Anger boiled within Batman. He lost it. He screamed and punched the wall repeatedly until his bones shattered. He broke down on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. He had gotten to him. He had killed him too. He could hear someone laughing behind him. An all too familiar voice. The voice of an old friend. A traitor. A murderer. (1)

* * *

Present Day

"I'm sorry Alfred. I couldn't save you. After everything, I couldn't save you!" Bruce broke down, the memories of his parent's death and Alfred's flooding his mind. After a while, he regained his composure. "That was the day I stopped being Batman. I couldn't take it anymore. So much death because of me! I thought that quitting wouldn't make a difference, that there would always be evil. But I see now. While there will always be evil, there will always be good to keep it in check. I made a promise fifty years ago and I'll renew it today." Bruce stood up. "I swear on the grave of my parents, that I will spend the rest of my life warring on the criminal underworld!" Bruce said.

Someone began clapping from behind Bruce. He turned around and basically saw a younger version of himself except with green eyes and messy hair. "That was an impressive speech. You should win an Oscar," teased the doppelganger.

Bruce frowned. "Who are you?" he asked.

The doppelganger smiled. "Mother once told me that even with you being the World's Greatest Detective, you wouldn't be able to piece it together." Bruce widened his eyes in surprise.

Did he know who he was? "I'm getting impatient now. Tell me who you are!" demanded Bruce.

"Okay," the doppelganger said a little frightened. "I'm your son, Damian," revealed the Doppelganger.

Bruce just stood there, dumbfounded. "Crap," he said after a short pause.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**(1) Guess who the killer is.**

**Alright, it's been a long time since I've updated and I'm sorry for that. I've edited the entire story or at least what I've written so far, so it will seem a bit different. Please review and check out my other Batman story; The Dark Knight of Gotham. They're early Batman adventures.**

**I don't own Batman. He is property of DC comics and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. I also do not own the Arkham Game Series which is property of WB, Rocksteady and now WB Montreal.**


	3. Introductions

Gotham City Graveyard, August 27 2043

Someone began clapping from behind Bruce. He turned around and basically saw a younger version of himself except with green eyes and messy hair. "That was an impressive speech. You should win an Oscar," teased the doppelganger.

Bruce frowned. "Who are you?" he asked.

The doppelganger smiled. "Mother once told me that even with you being the World's Greatest Detective, you wouldn't be able to piece it together." Bruce widened his eyes in surprise.

Did he know who he was? "I'm getting impatient now. Tell me who you are!" demanded Bruce.

"Okay," the doppelganger said a little frightened. "I'm your son, Damian," revealed the Doppelganger.

Bruce just stood there, dumbfounded. "Crap," he said after a short pause. "Who, When, How?"

"Talia al Ghul, 23 years ago and do I really need to explain that one?" Damian asked.

Bruce frowned. He remembered. Metropolis. Why didn't Talia tell him about his son before she died? "What business do you have with me?" Bruce asked, trying to build up his cold demeanor again.

"Well other than the fact that I'm your son, I need your help," said Damian. Bruce gestured for him to go on. "Well after mother died, I was moved to Bludhaven by... a special relative. We've lived there ever since until a madman came there and terrorized the city with his batshit crazy mother," Damian explained.

"I think I heard about that. What are the names of the culprits?" Bruce asked.

"Well I don't know their names. But I'll never forget that madman's face. His pale face, his green hair and red lips." As Damian described the main culprit Bruce suddenly felt cold and disturbed inside. Pale face? Green hair? Red Lips? It didn't make sense. Was it who he thought it was? It couldn't be! The body was cremated in front of him and Jim. Well it wouldn't be the first time the bastard cheated death. "Hey, father, you okay?" Damian asked.

"Call me Bruce. So you came all the way to Gotham to get my help?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. Now I understand if you-"

"I'll find them. I assume you know where my manor is?" asked Bruce. Damian nodded. "Meet me there then," Bruce was about to walk away when something occured to him. "You said that the green haired man was accompanied by his is mother?"

"Yeah. He kept on asking for her approval like "Hey mommy can I burn down this building?" or "Hey mommy can I shoot this guy until he bleeds out?" mocked Damian.

Maybe this man wasn't the Joker. But could the woman have been Harley Quinn? She escaped from the new Arkham the day Alfred died and hadn't been heard from ever since. Who's son could it be though? "I'll see you tomorrow. But you're welcome to stay at the manor if you'd like."

"I'd love to," said Damian.

"Then we'd better get going," Bruce said as he walked in the direction of his house, leaving Damian smiling to himself.

* * *

Wayne Manor, August 29 2043

Bruce was in his study going through some old pictures of and his allies. He then got to the pictures of his serious past loves. Selina Kyle, Vicki Vale, Talia... and Diana. It was a shame things didn't work out between them, between any of them. Bruce was snapped out of his thoughts by a knock on his door. He got up to answer it. It was Clark. "What is it Kal?" Bruce asked his old friend.

They both sat down. "I wanted to know if you were back in action," Clark explained.

"Where did you get that idea from?" Bruce asked.

"The other day as you probably know, the city was attacked by some kind of fire emanating being. Diana went to handle it but she was caught off guard. She would have died if it wasn't for somebody who incapacitated him with this," Clark said as he took out a thin black dart from his pocket. Bruce looked away.

"And you think it was me who saved Diana, right?" Bruce asked.

"I just don't want you pushing yourself over your limits again. When you were younger you could be passed off as dedicated and passionate but now you're fifty eight and putting on that suit again comes across as suicidal," Clark said.

Bruce frowned. "What I choose to do with my life is my choice alone," Bruce finished. "Did you interrogate the attacker?"

"Yes. He claims to be apart of an ancient order named The Brotherhood of Ashes. He went on about this prophecy before bursting into flames," Clark said, the image of the man burning, still haunting his mind.

"What was this prophecy?" Bruce asked.

"Hm, Lets see if I can still remember. 'From the ashes of the hell that occupies the Earth, our master shall be reborn to take dominion over man. The Warrior of Justice will stand against him but will ultimately perish. From the ashes of hell on Earth our master will rise and our enemy shall fall.' Those were his last words," Clark finished.

That was a lot for Bruce to take in. He could have sworn he heard a similar prophecy some time in his life. "I'll be joining you at the Watchtower tomorrow. We all have some things to discuss," Bruce said.

"I 'll let you come just this once. I'm forbidding you from rejoining the League. It's for your health and safety," said Clark. Bruce glared at Clark. "But if you want to join the League again then no one's stopping you," Clark finished with a gulp. It was no question about who would win in a purely physical fight between the two but there was something about Bruce's temper that scared all of the JL members. And for all Clark knew, he could have a shard of kryptonite hidden in his pants. "I'll see you tomorrow Bruce," Clark said.

As Clark was about to leave, Damian came out from the Batcave. Clark and Damian looked at each other for a slight moment before Damian face palmed himself. "Damn it! I fucked up didn't I" he asked Bruce.

Bruce sighed. "Damian meet Clark Kent, a good friend of mine. Clark meet Damian, my son."

Clark's jaw dropped for a second. "Who, When, How?" he asked.

"No time for that. Damian and I have some work to do," Bruce said as he showed Clark out. He then faced Damian. "Alright, time to track a clown."

* * *

**Okay so this chapter wasn't as amazing as I said it would be but it was to introduce some major plot details. Please review and read my other BM fic The Dark Knight of Gotham. **


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